Trials and Tribulations: A Representative's Journey to Graduation
by Bumblehigh07
Summary: Every Hundred years, one child from every Nation of the world is chosen on Selection Day to be a Representative tribute to their Country, trained under the man or woman who is whole-bodily the Country itself. Every so often, there is a blip in the selecting process. Where one child represents more than just one Country. These children are rare. These children are called Alphas.
1. Fifth Annual Selection Day

For about five hundred years now, the Countries of the world would gather a group of young peoples whom they felt would be adequate in becoming their Representatives. There was always one child assigned to one Country and upon Selection Day, the Country would be known as the child's Mentor. It was a very strict, albeit rather close relationship. The representative would learn from his or her Mentor the very fabrics of what ran in their blood and how to properly be a member of their Nation. It was often stressful on the young Rep, but through trial and error many have succeeded in seeing the Representing Year to the end and their Mentor's pride on their back.

Selection day was both a day of excitement, and often of dread. Because Representatives varied in age, many young children and young adults were taken from their families fresh into their teenage years or fresh from schooling. It was complete choice as to whether a Representative saw the year out or not. Few had denied their place beside a Country, but they had denied still. Those who agreed and selected by their Mentor were immediately put into a course of selective tasks they would need to complete in order to fulfill the qualifications for Graduation.

A Representative must accomplish four requirements. They must prove they have the strength and heart of their Country; Running through military ballistics and standard training that was offered. They must show excellent leadership and devotion; Leading a crowd or debate and fighting for what they believe in. They must hold empathy for those around them and pity for those beneath; Selfless sacrifices that others would not make unless given a situation where they are needed. Perhaps the most important of all, they must have a strong vision of their self image. In earlier years it was believed that a Representative was to be molded until they were a copy of their Mentor, now the representative must prove that while they can represent their Nation and their Mentor, they must stay true to themselves. In doing this, they put all of their trust and dependence on their Mentor, relying on them for all of their basic needs throughout the Representing Year (which was not even really a year. More like a year and a half).

Present time Selection Days were marked and children were sent in their best clothes to school where they would hear the same announcement heard every Selection Day. The Principle would stand up to the podium, greet the students and then hurry on into the speech written strictly for Selection Day.

"As you all know, Selection Day has been apart of History for just hundreds of years now, where one child would be chosen from each corner of the globe to congregrate at The World Meeting. Once there, they are to be greeted by their Mentors and they are to greet them as such-" The Principle would wave to the students who chanted in one large voice.

"It is an honor to stand by your side, Sir or Ma'am. I am delighted to have been chosen to be your Representative and relinquish my freedom to you." The students then bowed as they were taught and rose once more to be seated again for the Principle to go on.

"I hold in my hand here the Name one the lucky student who has been chosen and will find his or her place at The World Meeting to find his or her Mentor. You have all been carefully evaluated and in such your talents, strengths, and weaknesses had all been accounted for when decisions such as Selection are made."

The Principle then held up one red envelope with the Nation's World Seal stamped on the front. The students fidgeted in their seats, whispering among themselves and questioning whose name was hidden inside. The Man in front took from his pocket an envellope knife and cut open the letter with one quick movement, effectively silencing the murmuring of the students as he removed the contents.

"This year's World Representative is-" He looked to the letter...

...And paused.

There was indeed a name inside, a child had indeed been chosen. But in large red lettering, across the line which was usually signed by her Mentor, there was **ALPHA** written across. The Principle would blinked before excusing himself for a moment. The students would have erupted into questions; Where was he going? Who was picked? Are they not here? Secretaries of the G8 were stunned at him when he came back to them with the letter in hand. Something was most defintely wrong.

This was an _extremely_ rare occurance that happened once or two other times on Selection Day. Where a child with many attributes of many countries was chosen and they were to represent all their Mentoring Nations. Children like this were normally outcasts or had very small social circles. These Representatives were labeled as Alphas, for their diverse and therefore more superior blood. In human terms, they were referred to as Mutts, or mixed-blood. Alphas were rare and the last one was seen nearly three hundred years ago. Now another has arisen and she had been chosen.

The students would quiet when they saw their Principle return to the stage, looking a bit flustered but with a clearing of his throat he was back into formal tones.

"My apologies," He said. "But it seems I was mistaken. This year, Selection Day shall not see a run-of-the-mill Representative. This, the Fifth Annual Selection Day, shall see an anomaly that was last seen long before any of your times. This year, an Alpha was chosen."

Students and teachers alike gaped at the man as his word sunk in.

"I hold in my hand the name of the _Alpha_ who has been chosen. This year's Alpha is-" He looked to the letter. "-Sarah Matthews."

Heads turned to view the owner of the name where she sat in a pretty blue sun dress. At the sound of her name, her hands gripped the folds of her skirt and trembled, unable to move or look away from The Principle.

"Will you come down, Ms. Matthews?" He asked.

Sarah slowly rose from her seat, letting go of her dress but keeping her arms at her sides as she made her way down the steps of the bleachers and to the stage. The Principle took her hand and placed a small pendant in her palm. It was gleaming silver and weighed heavily in her palm, imprinted into it was a winged, crowned crest with a large 'W' seated in the middle. The Mark of The World Nations.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Our chosen Alpha." The Principle swept to the side and bowed before the young girl of only sixteen, the other students following as what was only polite when a Representative was chosen. When they rose they broke into applause, some whistling and cheering. Those were the one who were more for Selection Day than any of the actual selections.

This would have happened, had it not already. Indeed, Sarah Matthews had been chosen as a Representative of a group of Countries, and she had agreed to take on the challenge. Before boarding the ferry that would deliver she and the other Representatives to the World Meeting, she was taken by the secretaries to go through the leaving procedures. Her father told her he was proud of her and no matter what he would always be proud of her. She received three hugs from her brothers, one from each, and a leaving gift. Her eldest gave her his old pea coat, doing up the buttons for her while muttering something about keeping warm. The second eldest gave her his pocket knife, to use for protection and self defense only. The third gave her an early birthday gift, since he would not be able to give it to her on her birthday.

"It will bring you good luck," He said as he fastened it to the lapel of her new coat. It was a pin the shape of a heart made of Bass and Treble clefs. Aquamarine stones sat in the thickest part of the pin, glistening bright against the silver. It was too expensive for her own tastes and something she would never have asked for. She would cherish it the year she was away and never let it out of her sight.

Once her family left, she was taken through procedures that included her being fitted for her Representative uniform -she was actually fitted for an Alpha uniform, different from a normal Representative's. It was something of definite Japanese inspiration. She was put into a white pleated skirt, cerulean blue sailor uniform top with a white bow neatly tied at the end of her collar. A belt, some shades darker than her shirt, socks and Mary-Jane buckle shoes completed her attire.

"This is what you shall wear for the next year," She was told by one of her dressers. "Your mentors shall provide you with Winter clothing should you be in need of any. Depending who you are with at what time of the year."

She was allowed to keep her pea coat as well as the other gifts given to her. What happened with her dress that she wore for selection day was beyond her. Rumors went on that the clothes the Representatives wore before meeting their mentors were burned. Last finishing touches of primping and prepping and she was brought aboard the ship that was already crowded with other Representatives. There was a variety of children, as was to be expected, and all of them were in their uniforms, though their colors were reversed. She was glad her coat hid the blue of her shirt from view, else her identity as the Alpha be revealed.

Sarah found her way into a corner of the ship's deck, and sat with her fists tight in her lap. Admittedly, she had very little hope for herself. She was a relatively tall girl, carrying a little bit more weight to her than what was the norm. Her vision was not the best, as the frame less lenses perched on her nose would reveal. She was no social butterfly, preferring to stick to the sanctuary of the Library or anywhere with books. She was a quiet, intelligent girl who rarely spoke and whenever she did her words were carefully chosen.

She took a moment to look at the other children around her, singling out which Countries they were representing and giving herself some idea of who she would be. There was a tall pale boy with almond shaped eyes and short, black hair leaning on the railing and watching the sea below. A Representative of Japan perhaps. Another was a girl with platinum blonde hair pulled up high with a bow, an aura of courage and determination was set around her. She was talking to another girl in another language Sarah did not understand. Russian was what came to mind when she focused on the vowels and sounds. They both looked better qualified than she did.

The ride to the World Meeting took a day and after a rough night's sleep Sarah wondered if she would be able to stay awake long enough to meet her Mentor-Erm, Mentors. Plural.

She was an Alpha. She represented a handful of Countries.

A lake of children flooded into the Meeting Room, lining along the wall and awaiting patiently for their turns to come up and be claimed by their Mentor. A few Countries were already in their designated seats at the rounded table. There was a handsome man with golden hair, relaxed back in his chair as he hummed a small tune under his breath. He smiled at a small group of women across from him, waving and blowing a kiss which made them squeal and giggle madly. Another man was short, Auburn hair parted and his bangs falling in his eyes. He was smiling wide and waving to everyone, speaking to some whenever he had the chance to. An eccentric man who used his hands to talk. He sat next to another man who was similar to him in looks, though he had a bit of a scowl on his features. Brothers?

She was asked to remove her coat upon entering the Hall. Now without it's protective covering, she felt horribly exposed. There were indeed eyes on her, those who spoke the same language whispering to themselves about her reversed coloring. She just had to keep her head up and shoulders back. Remain a cool exterior and look professional. The door opened for the remaining Countries to come and they came in a bright and colorful cloud. The Representatives silenced themselves as the Countries seated themselves down. One remained up, a man with dirty blonde hair and glasses, and he cleared his throat to catch the already captured attention of the children.

"Alright, we all know why you're here! You are the lucky ones chosen by us to be our Representatives. We all expect your best. If you do not give your best, which is uncool, you will be failed at Graduation." He paused so that the words may sink in, grimacing a little at the scared faces that appeared. "However, it is my personal honor to say that I when I look around me today, I don't see failures! I see heroes and champions that will give nothing but their best!" He was grinning wide, putting energy back into the room that he had unintentionally sucked out. "So, without further delay, let's get to it! Each of your names shall be called by your Mentor. When your name is called, please step up and place yourself by your Mentor's side."

His speech was not the best, and it was clear that he was not the best at _giving_ speeches but his message was clear enough and One by one, each Country claimed one Representative. From Hungary in her pretty green and yellow dress, to Turkey with his strange poofy, feathered hat and mask.

"If your name has not been called, please stay behind!" The blonde man from before called over the light noise. The Children and their Mentors dispersed and left through the doors they had come from only a short moment ago. All but one girl and a handful of Countries whom had yet to have a Representative.

"Ah, so the rumors are true! There really is an Alpha." The man Sarah had seen before, the one that made the group of girls break down into fits of giggles, sat up a bit straighter as he turned his attention on her. His accent was unmistakably French.

"Couldn't you tell by her Uniform?" One of the brothers, the angry looking one, said to him with a heavy Italian lit to his voice.

"My eyesight is going!" The blonde complained. He stood from his chair and wandered his way to the young Alpha still standing against the wall. Her knees were locked tight and beginning to hurt.

" _Bonjour là , mademoiselle,_ " He said in his native language. "You are our Alpha, yes?"

The girl's palms were slick where they were clenched at her sides. For just a fraction of a second, she faltered in replying to him, her mind going blank as he continued to look at her. She quickly nodded, wiping her palms on her skirt.

"I am one of your Mentors, France," He chuckled. One of the brunette boys from before appeared behind him smiling bright and clapping.

" _Ciao! Ciao!_ I am Italy!" He reminded her an awful like like a Child. A rather big child. Aside from Mr. France and Mr. Italy, her Mentors consisted of Mr. Scotland, Mr. Spain, Mr. Germany, and Mr. America (only by technicality and he wouldn't stop whining). Her schooling kicked in and as soon as she had the moment to speak, she lowered her head in a bow.

"It is an honor to stand by your sides. I am delighted to have been chosen to be your Representative and relinquish my freedom to you."

"All these formalities!" Mr. France sighed. "Can't we go one Selection Day without being so-wishy washy?"

"Without proper formality the bond between a Representative and a Country will be demolished," Mr. Germany gruffed to the shorter man who shrugged.

"It was just a suggestion. Besides you get her first so you've no room to complain!" Mr. Germany didn't dignify Mr. France with a response as he turned all his attention on the Representative he would be taking with. Mr. Germany was a big man and Sarah felt minuscule compared to him. He radiated authority and she had the feeling he could snap her in two without trying.

"Let's get going." He turned on his heel and started for the door, poor Sarah tripping over herself to catch up with his long measured strides. She grabbed her coat on the way out, making sure the pin was still secured, and slid it on as she followed Mr. Germany to his car. It was a bit cold and the skirt did nothing to block it out against her bare legs. She was a bit surprised when he paused to open the door for her, motioning her inside and shutting it behind her.

She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly as the engine revved to life and they started off. She was just glad the ride to Mr. Germany's was not as long as the boat ride to the Meeting Hall. She stood in his foyer, afraid to move and someone step out of line with her Mentor. He was somewhat of a scary man. Very intimidating at least.

"What are your talents?" He asked very suddenly, his voice startling in her and having her ask out of habit.

"W-What?"

He turned to her fully, brows creasing as he repeated himself. Obviously an act he did not like doing. "What are you talents?"

Her mind ran at hyper-speed trying to find a suitable answer for him. What did he qualify as talents? Nothing pitiful like drawing or singing. Definetely not.

"I...I do not have any, Mr. Germany, Sir." He made a small sound of acknowledgment before turning once more and speaking without looking to her.

"That will have to change. Tomorrow I want you set into a routine and following the schedule I give you. Understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Germany, Sir."

"Good. Remove your shoes and follow me. Your first lesson shall be learning the art of German cooking."

Sarah almost tripped again trying to unbuckle her shoes, just beginning to get the left one off by the time Mr. Germany had left and disappeared into the kitchen. She was not ten minutes into being a Representative and already she felt more stressed than anything school could have given her. As she walked into the German's kitchen, she was awed at the liveliness (and tidiness) of it all. It was clear he used it often, and kept it very clean. She would no doubt be expected to do the same. However, in the case of making dough for the meat pockets he was having her make, the flour was getting on the flour and everywhere on the counter.

"You clean this up and I will make the filling." She nodded quickly, hurrying off the grab the broom and dust pan from the closet. This was proving more difficult than she imagined.

When the flour was cleaned and the meat pockets finished, it was discovered quickly that Sarah was not the biggest fan of the spicy filling. She hid it for as long as she could, till it got to the point where her face was red and she was shedding quiet tears.

"You need to tell me if you are uncomfortable!" He scolded as he dabbed at her cheeks. How was it this child had German in her blood? The other attributes were more prominent; Italy and France's curly hair and Spain's calm exterior. He feared when he saw her part of Scotland (whom decided not to show up. Bastard was lucky today however). Did he see any part of his blood in her? No. Sarah Matthews was a small child with too brown eyes behind delicate lenses and little auburn coils that framed her little round face. She was a weak child-or perhaps she was meek?

"Yes, Mr. Germany, Sir," She sniffed, sipping some of the milk that he had given her once her realized her dilemma.

"From now on if there is anything that makes you uncomfortable you will tell me. I will not get mad if you are telling the truth. Do we have an agreement?" He folded up the handkerchief he used, setting it down on the newly cleaned counter as he studied her. Once again she nodded.

"Good. Tomorrow I have to go to Austria's to discuss business. You are to be up at six o'clock sharp, dressed and ready by seven. We will leave at seven-thirty and no later. You are in bed with lights off, teeth brushed, and face washed by eight o'clock tonight. No acceptations."

"Yes, Mr. Germany, Sir."

"Any questions?" He raised one eyebrow ever so slightly as he paused, waiting in case she had anything to ask him. Many of his Representatives had before. Most of them were simply them wondering if they were going to be shooting any guns (The answer is No by the way). He watched as she pondered for only a second before shaking her head.

"No, Mr. Germany, Sir." Her shaking caused the small pin on the lapel of her uniform to shift, catching his eye momentarily. Very pretty. Music notes. He would have to remember to bring up the topic of music to her one day.

"If that is the case then I shall show you your room. Follow me." She was back to scrambling behind him to match his footsteps with her own as he lead her upstairs and to the left. She was once again struck with awe at her room and how well-kept it was. The sheets of her bed were folded and tucked tightly so that there was not a wrinkle in sight. The curtains were drawn at equal lengths apart and hung above the ground at what she could only presume was exactly one inch. There was a writing desk off in the furthest right corner, one side table on the bed's left, and one dresser sitting against the furthest left wall. All of it crafted from wood and polished to a shine. If this was a room for a Representative, she could not imagine what his room looked like. Not that she would imagine that anyway.

"It... it is very nice," She murmured quietly, still looking around and taking in every detail. From the handmade bed bench to the crown molding.

"I'm glad you think so. You are to keep it clean."

"Yes, Mr. Germany, Sir." She saw him shift out of the corner of her eye, glancing back and catching him checking his watch.

"I have to leave to gather some paperwork. I want you to stay here and out of trouble. Do not answer the door for anyone besides myself and my brother. He should be home soon. I will be back in an hour." A simple nod as he swiveled and left, shutting her door as she did so. Sarah walked slowly to the bed and nearly collapsed on the bench at the end, sighing and dropping her head into her hands.

Her first day as a Representative. only five-hundred forty-five more to go.


	2. Weak

Her boredom is what encouraged her to leave the confines of her room and find something of entertainment. She was careful not to touch anything, absolutely nothing except the floor and the air around her. Sarah could not help but marvel at the large house which she would be calling home for the next few months till she moved in with Mr. France or one of her other Mentors. Mr. Germany seemed to have a distinct taste for fine art, oddly enough she recognized a lot of them to be from Italy or replicas of famous Italian paintings. The Italian culture was a beautiful one though, so she could not judge him for having finer tastes.

She was admiring a replica of _The Birth of Venus_ when she noticed the low rumbling sound coming behind her. She turned and found on the windowsill was a cat. The sound she realized must have been it purring. She'd no idea Mr. Germany owned pets, much less a cat. He seemed more like a dog person. The feline continued to stare at her, holding her under it's gaze until she moved towards it. It quickly sat up from it's hunched position as she came closer, sniffing her hand when she offered it before rubbing it's head against her palm. It was just a plain cat with grey fur but it's eyes reminded her of Mr. Germany's; Intense and a bright blue.

Pets do reflect their owners is the saying.

"I wonder what your name is," She mused to herself, carefully looking on he inside of the Cat's ribbon colar for any sort of identification. She found some sort of tag, written in German obviously.

"Ger-...mouse? No. Germouser?"

" _Ja_. That is his name." She looked at the owner of the new voice, pausing her petting of Germouser to look at a man with silver hair. This must have been Mr. Germany's brother. She supposed they somewhat looked alike, though the red-eyed man was shorter than Mr. Germany and he didn't hold the intimidating stance to him that Mr. Germany did.

"So, you are _meine Brüder_ Representative?" He asked while drawing closer. He gave Germouser his own pat on the head as well as a scratch behind the ears. All the while he was sizing young Sarah up, making a sort of disgusted noise in his throat as he laughed. "You don't even look German! How can you be his Representative?"

"Because I'm not his Representative!" She huffed, quickly regretting when she saw the look he gave her. She quickly hunched into herself, a tremble running up her spine at the thought of what he would do to her for speaking out of line. This was her Mentor's _brother!_ She owed hiim as much respect as if she were his Representative.

" _Nein?_ Than what are you?" His hands were back on his hips as he bent over to look her straight in the eye with a smirk on his features. She got the sense he was rather full of himself when he wanted to be. She gathered the little courage she still had, standing up straight and looking the man straight back in the red of his eyes.

"I'm his Alpha."

The red eyed man blinked before his delayed reaction kicked in and he straightened with a gasp. "Alpha? You? And you belong to _Mein Bruder_?" He looked a bit ready to faint- or perhaps start crying.

"For the time being anyway. I've more Mentors to see."

"They are losers compared to what you can learn from I, the Awesome Prussia, and West!" She arched an eyebrow in confusion. He was Mr. Prussia? He was _alive?_ He obviously didn't have a Representative...

"Mr. Prussia are you even a Country anymore?" She saw him stiffen and come out of his arrogant state for a moment. He gently patted her head, brushing through the curls before saying,

"Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about something else! Like why you're wandering the halls of my brother's house."

"I was bored... I was hoping to find something to read. Does Mr. Germany have a library?" Mr. Prussia hummed as he thought, picking up Germouser as he did and holding the cat in his arms.

"He should," He said. "If you're really going to be a bore and read all day then follow me. It'll keep you out of trouble." He lead her throughout the house until coming upon Mr. Germany's library to which she stared in awe. There were shelves lining every wall, all of them packed to the brim with a variety of reading material. She knew most of it would be in his native language, but she had hope that there was something in English. Something that could help her pass the time. If not, well she was always up for learning something new. Especially a language.

"Thank you, Mr. Prussia!" She said as she hurried to the first shelf, reading the spine of the books in search of something she could understand.

"Yeah, well, if it'll keep a girl from doing any damage!" She hardly heard the insult, too busy pulling a thick, red bound book from it's place and opening the cover. She was able to read it that was all she cared about. She sat on the bench by the window, letting the natural light illuminate her book while she read. Sometime during, Germouser manage to find his way back into the library and made himself comfortable in her lap, purring quietly as she ran her hand over his fur. She made a mental note to ask Mr. Germany for some sort of allergy medicine when not only another cat found it's way to her but as well as Mr. Germany's three dogs.

"Eh-heheh. You're all cute but I don't know how this is going to work out without my allergies acting up," She whined as the five animals competed for her attention. The white cat (who reminded her an awful lot of Mr. Prussia) was very content with (quite literally) launching himself into her face with a loud meow and attach himself to her clothing while purring. She couldn't help but pick up the little Daschund that was trying to jump onto the bench. It found a comfortable spot next to her in the Sun while the Shepard- "Of coarse Mr. Germany would own a _German_ Shepard." -and the Retriever decided to lay down on the carpeted floor. Good gaurd dogs she supposed. Trained well. Germouser was still on her lap, though now having taken new residence on her stomach and looking like he would not be moving for a while. The white cat (whom she had affectionately begun calling Prussia-Cat) had draped himself over her legs, sprawled out and already fast asleep.

"Maybe now I can finally read," She sighed. She went back to the book she had found (which she found out early on was a Romance Novel. Who would have thought?). It was an aspiring tale about young lovers separated by the War Front. The book was written out through the letters the couple wrote to one another. It was sweet and heart wrenching all at once, especially when the woman was given news that the man had died. Sarah was not the biggest fan of Romance, she much preferred Murder Mystery, but she never turned away a good book. She was just reading the part where the woman was trying to cope with loss and a baby when she noticed her head falling forward, snapping back quickly and blinking. She was falling asleep! She'd no idea what time it was or how long Mr. Germany had been gone, but the animals were indeed indulging in their own naps (Prussia-Cat had been so for some time now) and she was not one to turn away a nice afternoon nap after some reading.

She set her book down after bookmarking the page with a stray peice of paper she found on the bench, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. The sun was warm on her face and the sound of Germouser's purring was slowly lulling her away. She dreamt she was back home in America, back with her father and her brothers.

It was interesting when Mr. Germany came home and went up to Sarah's room to check on her and he did not find her where he had told her to wait. He immediately checked the bathroom in case she was in there when he had come in. She was not. She was not in the kitchen or the entertainment area. Mr. Prussia was however, and he quickly congratulated his younger brother on his 'accomplishment.'

"The Alpha you got as a Representative of coarse!" He had clarified for him. When asked where Mr. Germany could find her he replied that he had taken her to Germany's personal library. "She wanted to read. Can you believe that?" He scoffed. Mr. Prussia was never one for reading anything aside from his own journals. He supposed his brother did simply not appreciate good Literature.

He found Sarah in the Library, along with Blackie, Belitz, Aster, Prussia's cat, and Germouser. It was a sight that would usually be seen only in movies or on one of Mr. America's greeting cards. He paused so to not disturb any of them and destroy the peace in the room. He does not want to wake her up just yet. He found he quite liked it when she was sleeping. She looked peaceful; At ease. Not the fear she had when he had spoken to her. It was with quiet steps did he draw closer and carefully pick up the book she had been reading. He knew this one, if he remembered clearly it was one Ms. Hungary had given to him after confessing his interest in literature to her and Mr. Austria. Strange, he didn't take Sarah as one for Romance.

He saw Germouser shift and stetch with a yawn, lifting his head and hopping down off the girl to briefly rub up against Mr. Germany's legs. He received a light scratch before disappearing to who knows where. He finally gave the young Alpha a light shake of the shoulder, effectively pulling her from her sleep with a small hum of confusion.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before turning her gaze on him, sitting up instantly when she saw her Mentor standing above her.

"M-Mr. Germany! I'm sorry! I was just-I was only-I didn't mean-"

"You were just reading a book. There is no harm done." She blinked at his quick forgiveness and when he handed her back the book. "I did not take into concideration how quickly you would become in need of entertainment. That is my mistake and I will be sure to not make it in the future."

She slid Prussia-cat off her legs, the cat still sound asleep, and helped the Daschund down to the ground where he pawed at his Master's legs for attention with the other three following, then swung her legs over and stood up off the bench.

"You don't have to do that. You have plenty of books here. Though I don't speak or read German, I'm open to learn." She was close to giving him a smile before her body's natural function got the best of her and she sneezed. Three times. There went her allergies.

"Are you catching a cold?" He asked as he pressed his ungloved hand to her forehead. She quickly shook her head and explained,

"No! It's my allergies! Had I know you had so many animals I would have told you sooner, Mr. Germany." She watched him blink before glancing down to the numerous pets around their feet. He had had Representatives with allergies in the past so this was no uncommon problem for him.

"I see. Is there any sort of special medication that you need?" Once again she shook her head. Over-the-counter medication was good enough for her allergies thankfully. He made a note to pick some up the next time they were out so as to lessen her suffering. He could hear her beginning to sniff and her eyes were starting to water and look a little pink. Perhaps they should go and get the medicine now while it was still the topic of conversation.

"Grab your coat. We are going to the market." He turned, leaving the girl in a bit of confusion before she got the common sense to follow him back into the foyer. She slid on her shoes and dawned her coat before stepping back out with him into the frigid air. She was born and raised near the large city of Chicago and she thought the winters there were bad enough. However, German winters had nothing on America.

Instead of taking the car like she had expected, Mr. Germany took to the sidewalk with quick strides that had her jogging to catch up. The mid-afternood sun had warmed the day with only a Northern wind to remind them that there was still a chill in the air. It was much more tolerable than earlier that morning when Autumn had decided to come early and bring in the cold. Still she pulled up her coat a bit to keep herself a little bit warmer. What she wouldn't have given for a nice scarf.

They walked side by side while on their way and on several occasions she fought back the action of reaching up to hold his hand while walking. It was an old habit she still did with her father while at the Market with him but Mr. Germany was not her father and would not appreciate her suddenly holding his hand. So they remained stuffed in her pockets, her thumb brushing over the knife her brother had given her for nostalgia and for reassurance. Representatives had dropped out early before and as much as she wanted to quit right then and run back home, she knew her family was expecting her to follow this through to the end.

Sarah squeaked when she bumped into someone, the man turning around and giving her some sort of glare. She stuttered out an apology and the man just said something in German before walking away. It was then she realized that she had somehow gotten separated from Mr. Germany when she had been thinking about going home. Now she stood in the middle of a crowded Market place full of people who spoke a language she did not know and know way of asking if they had seen Mr. Germany. She had gotten lost in a Mall before, but that had been back in America where everyone knew what to do when she walked up to them and said, "I'm lost."

She scooted to the outer edge of the room where she would not be a nuisance to anyone like that other man she had bumped into. She felt like how she imagined a puppy would after being tied to a chin fence and waiting for it's owner to return only for them to never come back. Her hands shook where they were balled into fists in front of her, her anxiety welling up to the surface and causing tears to form in her eyes. She quickly removed her glasses so she didn't stain them and sniffed as she wiped her eyes on her sleeves.

She was hardly a day into this experience. How was she going to last a whole year?

"Sarah? Sarah!" She looked up when she heard her name, quickly catching a very upset looking Mr. Germany making his way to her. He cut through the crowd like he was made to, people separating and giving him space left and right until he was directly in front of her.

"There you are! You know better to have wandered off while in a public place like this! Do you have any idea what-" He was cut mid-rant when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, red with cold, and heard her sniffle. She was shaking where she stood, and he knew it was not because of the Autumn whether, he saw it in her eyes it was because she was scared. The way she trembled and looked up at him like he was going to hurt her, brown eyes wide and filled with tears immediately brought the picture of Italy to his mind. It was only out of habit did he suddenly hug her tight, the way he would when Italy was scared and came to him for comfort.

" _Nein._ Stop crying. I'm not angry with you. But you could have been in serious danger. What would you have done had someone tried to take you?" He pulled back to frown at her as well as pull out his handkerchief from before and wipe her cheeks clean. He was beginning to see the resemblance between her and Italy more and more.

"I have a knife," She said as quiet as a mouse and he paused to blink in surprise.

"Uhh. Well- do you know how to use it?" She shook her head, averting her gaze and sniffling.

"Then we'll work on that tomorrow. It will be an adequate start for your training. Now let's go home. I've got your medicine right here." He revealed a bag that he had tucked into his coat and she quickly fell into step with him, taking great measures to make sure she stayed by his side at all costs.

When they returned, he tilted her face up to look her over. Her eyes were puffy with tears, cheeks red with stray tears staining them, and her sniffling he knew was not from the animals.

"Go upstairs. Wash your face. I'll start on dinner once I finish my paperwork." The young Representative sniffed again and nodded, her gaze dropping as he let go of her chin.

"Yes, Mr. Germany, Sir." He watched her hurry along, pulling her coat tighter around herself as she took the stairs. He set down her medicine and hung up his coat, frowning as he replayed the last few moments. She was indeed a fragile soul or perhaps he was simply too tough on her for the first day? He could understand her fear, a Representative had the weight of a world on their shoulders. An Alpha had five times that.

She possesses the potential he decided, he just needed to approach it differently. After all, he was taking a shot in the dark here. The last Alpha had belonged to France, Britain, Netherlands, and Ukraine. She was his first Alpha as much as he was her first Mentor. If they were going to make this work he needed to connect with her somehow.

She's shown him too signs of weakness in their first hours together. Now was time she showed him her strengths.


End file.
